G9 guitar chord

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About G9

G9 keeps the dominant notes of and includes the : G, B, D, F and A. A plain 9 chord includes the flat 7th.

The major 3rd and flat 7th still identify the dominant. The 9th can carry the upper line into the next chord.

Also written Gdom9 or G dominant 9.

G9 guitar chord diagram: G, B, D, F, A, played x-10-9-10-10-x
G9 guitar chord voicing: x-10-9-10-10-x.

How to use G9

1In place of a V7

V in C major

G9 goes wherever a dominant seventh goes; the ninth is only an added colour. When the chord resolves, the ninth does what the seventh does and falls a step.

Compare with

Listen for: The ninth falls a whole step to the fifth of the I. On the plain seventh chord that string plays the root, which just holds.

In which keys. Every note of G9 belongs to C major and A minor.

What to play over G9

Useful scales

  • +CE

    Contains G9 and adds eleventh and thirteenth.

  • +C#E

    Adds sharp eleventh and thirteenth, for a dominant sharp-eleventh color.

Every scale

Chords near G9

Remove a note

Change one note

  • open strings
    open strings
    F → F#

    Raise the flat seventh to the major seventh.

    See Gmaj9 chord →
  • 3rd inversion
    3rd inversion
    B → Bb

    Lower the major third to the minor third.

    See Gm9 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    F → E

    Lower the flat seventh to the sixth.

    See G69 chord →
  • 3rd inversion
    3rd inversion
    D → Db

    Lower the fifth to the flat fifth.

    See G9b5 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    D → D#

    Raise the fifth to the sharp fifth.

    See Gaug9 chord →
  • A → Ab

    Lower the ninth to the flat ninth.

    See G7b9 chord →

Dominant seventh chords on every root

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
350
150

Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode